Currently, I live 6 miles from work. I bike to the office between 1-3 times/week in the spring, summer, and fall.
I'm considering moving further from work; if I do, my commute one-way would be 17 miles.
Here's why: my boyfriend and I own a duplex. Our mortgage is just over $1600 a month. We live in one unit and have tenants in the other that pay us $1150/month. We could rent our unit for $1200—putting us at $2350/month, netting us about $700/month.
And we'd be moving back to my childhood home, where we would not have to pay any rent. In fact, we'd be splitting utilities with my mother who lives there part-time. She's even offered to put the house in our name, which I don't plan to accept.
A few other considerations:
- We're expecting our first baby in December, so we'd have more space, no loud tenants above us, a better neighborhood, and be closer to help (my mom and my bf's mom)
- My father passed away unexpectedly this winter, and I hate my mom being alone in the house
- I can work from home 2 days a week
- I'm getting big and tired and unbalanced (baby!), and my biking-to-work days are probably over for a while anyway
Should we do it? Everything makes sense to me except the commute, which is really screwing me. I HATE DECISIONS